Skyriders service offering sweetens the deal for the local sugar industry

23 July 2012

Rope access specialist Skyriders is confident of expanding its footprint into the sugar industry, having already established a reputation for being a leading provider of rope access-aided inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT) and maintenance services in Africa.

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Skyriders service offering sweetens the deal for the local sugar industry

Skyriders’ unique rope access aided services can provide the South African sugar industry with significant savings related to cost and time, due to the fact that tall onsite structures such as silos and chimney stacks often have limited or zero means of access.

By using various industrial rope access techniques such as bolting and aiding, Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn points out that these structures can be swiftly ascended or descended by the Skyriders team of rope access technicians.

“Rope access also allows for increased manoeuvrability in confined spaces, which enables the technicians to carry out challenging tasks at height, with relative ease. There are various facilities and infrastructure at most sugar mills where height and confined space could be a limiting factor, similar to those at cement factories, where our rope access technicians have extensive experience.”

Zinn highlights the fact that a large number of South African sugar factories are ageing, and believes that Skyriders has the necessary skills and expertise to provide a value-added service that is tailor-made specifically for the local market. “Due to ageing infrastructure, concrete inspection, repair and waterproofing is vitally-important in ensuring that the lifespan of the silo is extended. With regards to silo maintenance, steel liners are traditionally replaced by means of scaffolding to prevent it from damaging the concrete structure. The scaffolding access option is costly and time consuming, and the cost can often be disproportionate the actual work that needs to be done.”

Zinn adds that Skyriders is able to undertake routine maintenance on all steel chutes and liners, in order to detect any signs of corrosion. “The Skyriders team of rope access technicians are also able to undertake inspections on wall thickness, in addition to grit blasting and repainting on the outside of the structure,” he continues.

Zinn highlights the fact that sugar mills also experience pest infestations. “Another valuable service that Skyriders can offer to the sugar industry is the cleaning and fumigation of silos to eradicate the dangerous and costly problem of pests, which can contaminate tons of valuable produce, that would otherwise have to be destroyed.”

Looking to the future, Zinn is confident that Skyriders can gain market share into the sugar industry in the short-term. “I believe that the rope access services provided by Skyriders can save the sugar industry a substantial amount of time and money, and we will be looking at promoting the benefits of these services to the industry through various demonstrations, and examples of successful case studies in other industrial applications,” he concludes.

Ends

Notes to the EditorThere are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Skyriders link.

About Skyriders Skyriders (Pty) Ltd, established in 1998, is a leader in the South African rope access industry, providing cost- and time-saving solutions to clients in the power generation and petrochemical industries who require rope access aided inspection, NDT and maintenance work to be done in difficult to reach, high-up locations.